Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Strategic Plan Identifies Research Opportunities for Diabetes

"Research supports environmental and policy approaches to increasing physical activity and improving eating behaviors in both adults and children that could lead to significant public health benefit," says a new 10-year strategic plan that identifies research opportunities with the greatest potential to benefit the millions of Americans who are living with or at risk for diabetes and its complications.

Developed by a federal work group led by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the plan aims to accelerate discovery on several fronts, including: the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes and how both conditions may be affected by genetics and environment; autoimmune mechanisms at work in type 1 diabetes; prevention of complications of diabetes that affect the heart, eyes, kidneys, nervous system and other organs; and the reduction of the impact of diabetes on groups disproportionately affected by the disease, including the elderly and racial and ethnic minorities.

Under the plan, Advances and Emerging Opportunities in Diabetes Research: A Strategic Planning Report of the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee, NIH will continue to emphasize clinical research in humans, which already has led to highly effective methods for managing diabetes and preventing complications.